Marketing Secret: One Social Media Post is More Important than 1,000 Business Cards
An absolute must to survive and thrive as a small business...
Whenever a real estate agent comes to my door and leaves a business card, I always look at the name, admire the fancy head shot and nice clothes and then throw it on the pile of the other 40 cards and flyers that have been dropped off at my townhouse, or even straight in the trash.
The truth is, there is nothing about a business card that differentiates the people handing them out. People like me get way too many – so they just become part of that pile by the phone, and I’ll never take any action to call you. I’m also not learning anything about you or how you do business. Should I trust someone to sell my home just because their business card has a really friendly smile?
On the other hand, what does one social media post do? Well, with just one social media post you’ll be in the world of personal branding. A social media post not only has value for your target audience, it also positions you as a subject matter expert.
So what’s better: Someone having your business card? Or thinking you’re an expert at what you do?
Online marketing is absolutely crucial in today’s market for businesses to succeed.
“Ten years ago it may have been a choice to jump on the online bandwagon, but now it’s an absolute must to survive and thrive as a small business. With over 85% of searches for products and services happening online, it’s just a “duh” at this point,” shares Jenny Servis, Vice President of Marketing for marketing solutions company SnapRetail.
So over 85% of customers are looking online in the first place, and there are now over 1 billion Facebook users, 400 million Twitter accounts, and over 200 million LinkedIn users. Just by sheer statistics, you’re bound to reach thousands of people with each post you make on social media.
Social media isn’t a fad, and it isn’t just for young people anymore. Everyone is on it, which makes it the most powerful marketing tool at your disposal.
Still not sold? Well, your contemporary agents are. This LinkedIn article outlines the latest real estate marketing trends and clearly shows that agents are taking advantage of social media.
A staggering 90% of real estate agents are using at least one social media site as part of their marketing strategy. Statistics also show that 56% of their budget is going towards online marketing.
Almost 69% of consumers who converted into leads began with a basic internet search in their home. And 92% of searches for new homes was conducted through online channels.
So if you’re constantly on social media establishing a strong presence, any number of these searches could turn someone on to you. And this is where you show your stuff.
“Even with a thousand flyers, you can’t guarantee that people will look at your stuff,” says Paul McGregor, a prominent real estate agent in Toronto. “They could tuck it away with the rest of the mail and end up tossing it out. Just one post is guaranteed to be seen by hundreds of people and you didn’t even have to do anything.”
A recent article on inman.com features media expert and author Guy Kawasaki, chief evangelist of Canva, pointing out that agents are just a few steps away from realizing social media’s full potential for their businesses.
“If you took two agents who were operating in all the same conditions,” says Guy. “Same competence, same listings, etc., then, yes, social media will provide the edge because social media equals marketing for entrepreneurs and small businesses.”
Traditionally, most real estate agents think that the recipe for success is word-of-mouth referrals. But Guy recommends that “a good framework for agents is to think of social media as steroids for word-of-mouth reputation building.”
“People ignore what they don’t want to read (on social media) and read what they want to read,” says Paul. But constantly having a presence there “gives them an instant flicker of what you do and keeps you top of mind,” says Paul.
“Value comes in the form of information and assistance,” says Guy. “You want to establish a position where people see — through your social media efforts — that you know what you’re doing and are helpful.”
Remember, a great social media page will help you:
- Be found
- Establish a stronger brand
- Boost sales
- Share expertise and knowledge
- Get wisdom from customers’ interaction and feedback
- Free advertising: a satisfied customer will likely share your business on their personal platforms. Nothing gets the word out like word of mouth
- Build a community
So take advantage of what social media can do for you. Don’t become another dusty business card sitting beside my phone.
